Today’s farmers are feeding the world
From a team of horses in the early 1900s to tractors with the power of 40 to 300 horses today’s farmers provide consumers with more and better quality food than ever before. In fact, one farmer now supplies food for about 129 people in the United States and abroad compared with just 28.8 in 1960.
The efficiency of American farmers pays off in the price American consumers pay for food as well. U.S. consumers spend roughly 9 percent of their income on food compared with 11 percent in the United Kingdom, 17 percent in Japan, 27.1 percent in South Africa and 53 percent in India. This great value is due in large part to improved equipment efficiency enhanced crop and livestock genetics through biotechnology, conventional breeding, and advances in information management.
All Americans are asked to enjoy and admire the wonders of American agriculture as National Agriculture Day is celebrated on the first day of Spring. Today’s farmers work nearly three-and-one-half times more land than their predecessors from 1900. Their needs are different, the crops are different. The rules governing production practices are different.
Overall new technology provides farmers with better, more timely information to ensure quality efficient crop production and information infrastructure also allows growers to track their crops and the production processes used to produce those crops better. A key factor is biotechnology and scalability of specific crop varieties become even more important in food production. Biotechnology is another actor in the efficiency of American farmers and their ability to more, higher quality food and livestock. Biotechnology provides benefits similar to traditional plant and livestock breeding, but does so in a more controlled environment and with faster results. Advancements made in plant biotechnology provide consumers with better quality products in many areas. And those benefits are just beginning. There are many products in the biotechnology research pipeline that will provide better livestock feed resulting in leaner meat for consumers. Many of these same products will lessen the environmental impact of livestock production, by reducing waste and/or the chemicals found in animal waste. With today’s technology, farmers are also better able to match seed characteristics and production practices to soil type and climate conditions. The result is higher yields with lower input costs from more efficient use of chemicals, fertilizers and tillage. Ultimately, that results in more food at a lower cost for consumers
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